The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), a joint analysis of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford, which go beyond measuring poverty as a measure of poverty, and look at other indicators, from ability access to education and health, to living standards such as housing, drinking water, sanitation and electricity.
Using this problem calculation, research shows that, even before COVID-19 pandemic and the current cost of living crisis are taken into account, some 1.2 billion people in 111 developing countries live in severe multidimensional poverty – almost twice as many people are considered poor when poverty is defined as living on less than $1.90 per day.
Join the thought
Because there are different aspects of poverty in different regions, the study calls for the development of strategies to address this problem that must be tailored to specific countries and regions.
It also identifies repeated patterns of poverty (“deprivation packages”), which often affect those at risk. For example, more than half of the people living in poverty lack both electricity and clean cooking fuelwhile a third are simultaneously deprived of nutrition, cooking fuel, sanitation and housing.
For example, the experience of families in Lao PDR shows the interconnected nature of life in poverty and the complexity of its reduction.
Children have to go collect firewood because of lack of cooking fuel, so they cannot go to school. Therefore, simply providing funds to build schools would make no sense without first solving the fuel problem.
Historical improvement
Despite the scale of the challenge, significant improvements have been made in reducing poverty.
In India, some 415 million people lifted out of multidimensional poverty in 15 years – a historic shift – and data collected before the COVID-19 pandemic shows that 72 countries have significantly reduced poverty In recent years.
The report presents success stories from countries that have used integrated poverty reduction strategies: For example, Nepal’s investment in sanitation has improved access to drinking water and nutrition for children. children and through the reduction of diarrhea and child mortality.
Responding to the findings, Achim Steiner, head of UNDP, said that, at a time of tight government budgets, advanced data and analytics can pinpoint exactly where spending is going. will have the most impact.
For example, the report shows, he said, “that decarbonizing and expanding access to clean energy will drive climate actionand is also important to the nearly 600 million multidimensionally poor people who still lack access to electricity and clean cooking fuels. “
This study, he continued, will be “important to inform UNDP efforts globally as we work with our partners from the United Nations and beyond to achieve the ambitious goal of we are helping raise 100 million people out of multidimensional poverty by 2025“.
In India, 5 out of 6 multidimensionally poor people come from tribes or lower classes.
